Is there anything peculiar about knowing how to pick the best hiking shoes? Apart from the fact of being expensive, are they really needed in your hiking tour, especially when you are a beginner in the field?
The answer to this question is yes.”
Hiking boots, more or less, is the most important thing that you cannot do without in the entire hiking gear. It is a foot that is used more than any other organ of your body during hiking, and this is the reason why you have to give them ample protection. Your feet will be protected from harsh trails by sturdily constructed hiking boots.
Following is a list of guidelines to be followed while choosing to buy your hiking boots:
That “Solid” Feeling
This ought to be the prime quality of hiking boots. The good-quality boots provide us with a solid feeling at the bottom, which prevents the feet from feeling rocks and stones through their soles. What is the immediate result? You may soon have the possibility of getting hurt after traveling for miles, and certainly that is not good, especially when you have to further travel for a few more miles before breaking your camp.
Test for the solidity before you buy a pair of boots. Push the sole with your thumb. These boots would not be able to give your feet the required protection if they are soft. Giving the soles of the boots a twist will also test them. These boots, if they are soft enough to be twisted, are also not fit for hiking.
Obviously the trails will not be as easy to walk on as the footpath outside your home. You may experience pain if your feet don’t receive the adequate protection against them.
For information on sleeping bags, another important aspect of your camping trip please click here.
Side Protection
It is not only the bottom part of the hiking shoes that is important. Good boots should also be capable of providing protection to the sides of your feet. In fact, the reason for their being called “heavy” is that these boots are given extra padding in order to protect your feet from rocks, stones, and branches of trees , which you may place your feet on and which could pierce into the sides of your boot.
Fabric boots must come with protective welts.” Welts are fixed at about 1/2 inch or more up above the soles in order to give additional protection.
Ankle Support
It was obvious that Achilles did not know anything about boots, so he was not able to give protection when his ankle was hit with an arrow by Paris. You need not follow Achilles’ footsteps. Hiking boots need good ankle support.
Follow these when you pick them:
- Take hold of the top side of the boot.
- Try bending it sideways.
- It is not likely to give the ample level of protection required by you on the trail if the boots are to bend easily.
The top part of the boot ought to be firm enough in order to hold the ankle in position. These are the criteria to choose a pair of hiking boots with good quality and support.
Don’t Let the Water In
A wet foot is the cause of blisters. Blisters are certainly painful. They are evil too. You have to prevent their occurrence at any cost. A solution is to get hiking boots with waterproofing ability. If the boots you have are not waterproof you could try waterproofing them. One way of getting fabric boots waterproofed is to use special waterproofing solutions, like liquid silicone. However, such solutions are not capable of waterproofing them enough as to make them useful.
Next time you plan a hike you should also be well prepared with some great camping food recipes. Read more.